ESPN.com Reporting NBA Ref Lockout is Likely

Technically, if the refs make a bad call on one team, that rewards the other team. And if they make a good call on one team, that punishes the other team.

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Well technically, if one team gets a call that so happens to be a "bad" call, then the other team suffers because it cause the other team to get in the bonus, more points (and 1 or FTs), or have a player foul out. Let's take an example the Pistons vs Magic. This call could've messed with us winning this game: YouTube - Worst Foul Call Ever

Also, that call when Rodney passed the ball to Chauncey that clearly took more time than 4.8 seconds. The Magic suffered a loss when they should've won that game.

Ref's Union The Last Bastion Of Togetherness
Bethlehem Shoals The Baseline

"They say that brotherhood and solidarity have died in pro sports, except when you're on a championship-winning team. They say that athletes only look out for themselves, that the struggle for the rights of the worker has given way to a bizarre form of entitlement in which the union is an employee, or hired help.

Then again, these same people also complain about player salaries when you ask them what's wrong with sports, so maybe we should ignore them.

But if you have a friend who longs for the Pete Seeger-ized days of labor relations in pro sports, maybe you should hip them to the current plight of the NBA refs. Desperately trying to avoid a lockout—if you hate the officiating now, imagine it with all scabs—they are now holed up in a Chicago hotel, singing work songs and clasping their hands in hard-earned unity. Like that last time Arafat got bombed."

Do NBA refs have ANY leverage? With the level of officiating being the way that it's been, aren't these guys (and girl) VERY replaceable? I have a hard time buying the idea that a bunch of scabs (with a little training and classroom work) couldn't do any worse.

Do NBA refs have ANY leverage? With the level of officiating being the way that it's been, aren't these guys (and girl) VERY replaceable? I have a hard time buying the idea that a bunch of scabs (with a little training and classroom work) couldn't do any worse.

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Actually, I think we'd see a lot more unwatchable games with jumpy scab refs blowing their whistles left and right.

I think this will get resolved before any real games are played. Preseason will have scab refs and at worst a deadline deal will get done before the season. Maybe it's the eternal optimist in me.